The snowcat lurched across the ice. The engine was making a cracking sound. The wind howled outside. The windows were frosted over. I could barely see. I was trying my best to stay alive. Caiman's shirt was used to hold the bleeding spot but it was soaked now. My hand was pressed against my chest. Blood seeped through my fingers. My vision was blurry. My breathing was shallow.Elena sat next to me. Her hand was on my arm. Her grip was tight. Her fingers were digging into me."Stay with me Jax," she said. Her voice was shaking."Elena, I'm trying." I said slowly."Try harder." Her voice was firm. She bit her fingernails.I almost smiled. My lips barely moved. My eyes were half closed.Rina was driving. Her hands were tight on the wheel. Her eyes were fixed on the white nothing ahead. She hadn't blinked in minutes.Caiman was in the back. Marcus was next to him. The man was barely still alive. His eyes were closed. His chest was moving slowly. Too slowly.Evelyn was next to Marcus. Her

The lecture hall was filled to the brim. Leo was sitting in the third row, near the window. His notebook was open. His pen was in his hand. He wasn't writing.The professor went on and on about things. History. Modern history. The official version. The one the governments had agreed on."...the terrorist organization known as Phoenix was dismantled after a coordinated international effort. The leaders were apprehended. The facilities were destroyed. The threat was neutralized."Leo stared at the screen. At the photos of buildings on fire. At the faces of men in uniforms."Preposterous," he whispered."The Zero Collective was a fringe group that claimed responsibility for several attacks. They were ultimately defeated by joint task forces. No survivors were identified."Leo's hand tightened on his pen. He pressed his lips into a straight line. His eyes were burning with anger.The professor kept talking. "The aftermath of the conflict led to widespread medical reforms. The so-called 'ge